Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Vessel Name: J.M. Jones
• Former Names: None known
• Year Built: 1855
• Builder: James Madison Jones, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Launch Location: Milwaukee, WI (U.S.)
• Home Port: Milwaukee, WI
• Owners: A. Larsen (at time of loss)
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 92.17 ft (28.09 m)
  • Beam: 23.58 ft (7.19 m)
  • Depth of Hold: 8.08 ft (2.46 m)
• Tonnage: Not explicitly listed; estimated ~100–120 gross tons based on dimensions
• Hull Material: Wood
• Rig: Two-masted schooner
• Propulsion: Sail only
• Vessel Type: Lumber schooner (Great Lakes)
• Cargo at Loss: Wood, bound for Chicago
• Date of Loss: September 1861
• Lives Lost: 0

Wreck Coordinates & Site:

• Body of Water: Lake Michigan
• County: Manitowoc County, WI
• Nearest City: Manitowoc
• Latitude: 44° 04.841′ N
• Longitude: 87° 33.835′ W
• Reported Depth: ~0 ft (immediate sinking and breakup); modern depth ~unconfirmed nearshore remains

Vessel Description

The J.M. Jones was a wooden, two-masted Great Lakes schooner designed for the lumber and wood trade, common to the mid-19th century.

• Built by James Madison Jones, a prominent Milwaukee shipbuilder, whose vessels frequently served in the regional timber trade.
• The vessel had a shallow draft relative to length, suitable for small harbors and river mouths.
• Insurance & Valuation:
  • 1860 – Valued $3,800, rated B2
  • 1861 – Valued $2,000, rated B2

The decline in valuation indicates prior incidents and probable wear.

Service History & Incidents

The J.M. Jones had an active but troubled six-year career, punctuated by repeated accidents:

• Dec 1856 – Struck a pier and sank at Racine; later refloated and repaired.
• Dec 1858 – Lost her master overboard on Lake Michigan (identity requires archival verification).
• Sept 1859 – Capsized with a load of wood at Port Washington; successfully recovered.
• Sept 1860 – Collision with schooner Nightingale on the St. Clair River; survived.

The vessel’s accident record reflects the hazards of the lumber trade, where overloading and heavy weather frequently led to partial losses and repeated salvage efforts.

Final Voyage and Loss

On September 3, 1861, the J.M. Jones was northbound on Lake Michigan carrying a cargo of wood to Chicago when it collided with the schooner Condor.

• The Condor struck the Jones, nearly cutting her in two.
• J.M. Jones was stove in and waterlogged, sinking almost immediately.
• Crew Escape:
  • All hands were saved, rescued by the Condor.
• Damage to Condor:
  • Lost bowsprit, mainmast, sails, and rigging
  • Drifted helpless for 24 hours before rescue by the propeller Backus, which towed her to Milwaukee

Primary Source:

“The schooner J.M. Jones, loaded with wood and bound for Chicago, was stove and waterlogged after being nearly cut in two as the result of a collision with the schooner Condor. The Jones sunk immediately. The crew were all saved, picked up by the Condor… which afterward drifted 24 hours before being towed to Milwaukee.”
— Milwaukee Sentinel, September 4, 1861

Located By & Present Condition

• Coordinates: 44° 04.841′ N / 87° 33.835′ W (off Manitowoc)
• Present Condition:
  • Likely heavily broken and buried due to shallow nearshore exposure and 160+ years of lake action
  • No active dive site designation in Wisconsin Shipwreck Registry
• Archaeological Potential:
  • Scattered timbers or fasteners may remain
  • Significant structural features unlikely

Notices to Mariners

• None beyond contemporary newspaper reports and shipping bulletins in 1861.

Resources & Archival Links

• Great Lakes Vessels Database – HCGL
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Wisconsin Shipwreck Database
• Milwaukee Sentinel – Sept 4, 1861
• US Vessel Enrollment Records – National Archives

Conclusion

The J.M. Jones is a classic example of a mid-19th-century Great Lakes lumber schooner, operating in an era of frequent collisions and repeated salvage. Its short, accident-prone career and ultimate loss by collision are consistent with the risks of the booming wood trade on Lake Michigan.

While no significant wreckage is dive-accessible, the vessel’s documented history contributes to our understanding of regional lumber transport and maritime hazards of the 1850s–1860s.

Keywords / Categories

• Region: Lake Michigan, Manitowoc County, WI
• Vessel Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Cause of Loss: Collision with schooner Condor
• Period: 1850s–1860s
• Cargo: Wood / Lumber trade
• Dive Difficulty: N/A – Wreckage scattered or buried
• Hazards: Historical collision zone, shallow surf

j-m-jones-1855 1861-09-29 23:54:00